12.18.09

The H-1C nurses for Health professional Shortage Areas is about to expire this weekend unless extended. Foreign nurses could temporarily work in the United States under nonimmigrant H-1C status in hospitals designated as health professional shortage areas. 500 such nurses could be hired each year. The provision was created in 1999 and was reauthorized by the Congress in 2006 for another 3 years but is to expire on 12/21/2009.

Consequently, in the absence of further extension, strating 12/21/2009 U.S. citizenship and immigration services can not accept any further petitions for this category. However, those already working in U.S. as H-1C nurses, those entering U.S. in such status with an already approved petition and H-1C applications received earlier and pending with the USCIS remain unaffected by the expiration of the H-1C program.